Off With Their Heads
by Chii125
Summary: While the team is investigating a series of decapitations, someone is investigating them. How do the murders link with a hacker and a party queen who has a bit too much interest in Doctor Reid? Will the show go on or will the killer make sure that the party is cut short? And how does Alice in Wonderland fit into everything? Things are getting curiouser and curiouser... Please R&R!
1. The Phoenix

The park was crowded and loud; women were pushing strollers, men were walking dogs, and children were screaming on the playground. Dr. Spencer Reid walked down the path, one hand on his satchel, the other pushing his sunglasses farther up his nose. It was bright today and he could feel a headache starting to knock on his skull. But it was warm and, despite the noise, there was a sense of calm in the air. He took a deep breath, held it, and released it slowly, trying to ignore the stabbing pain that was forming between his eyes.

His favorite bench wasn't far off, nestled next to the a few sets of tables and chairs that made a perfect place to play chess. There were a couple games currently going on, including one of his friends, a young Asian boy, destroying an elderly gentleman who was clearly in over his head. He smiled as he passed them but the boy didn't even look up, too focused on his upcoming victory.

As he neared his bench he saw a lone player, hat pulled down low, reading a book with a half-finished game in front of them. Every now and then they would look up and move a piece before returning to their book. He was curious but there was a book of his own calling his name. So, instead of investigating, he passed the lone player and sat down on his bench. He pulled the book from his satchel and began flying through it, soon getting so engrossed in the story that time flew by.

A vibration in his pocket yanked him from his story, just before he was able to finish. He frowned and pulled out his phone to read a message sent from J.J.

_"Got a case. Presenting in 1 hour."_

He sighed and slid the book back into his bag. Just before he stood up, he happened to glance over his shoulder at the lone player near him. They were holding a pawn in one hand and the book in the other, furiously looking from one to the other, before placing the pawn down, just to pick it back up. Curiosity peaked, Reid made his way over to the player and stood by the board, looking down at the oddest game he had ever seen.

The game board was solid wood, not the fake, laminated wood most boards were made of. The squares seemed painted on by hand, though they weren't in the traditional black and white; instead, they was red and white. But the color seemed faded in some areas and bright in others, not at all even. Overall, it looked like a child had colored them in. But the streaks seemed deliberate, definitely not something a child's hand could do. Ever more curious, Reid leaned in and saw something that was startlingly amazing.

Each square appeared to have different scenes painted into them with varying shades of either red or grey, so that the overall color of the square still remained red or white(ish), hence the seemingly uneven coloring. Some were forests, some were streams, and a few even looked like a small town, complete with buildings and a town square. There also seemed to be a set of train tracks running along the middle of the board.

Even the chess pieces were a bit odd. They were also in red and white but instead of traditional shapes, like bishops and rooks, the pieces seemed to be carved into different characters. A white knight, for example looked like it was covered in pots, pans, and other assorted items. Not only were the characters odd looking, but they were placed in odd positions. The red king was on its side, the twin white rooks, looking like fat boys, were staring each other down in the same square, and the white queen seemed to be everywhere at once, without even moving. Every single strange piece was in an equally strange position. Reid couldn't make heads or tails of the idea of the game.

"Ahem."

Reid looked up to see the lone player staring at him through a pair of dark sunglasses. He hadn't realized how long he had been staring. He blushed a bit out of embarrassment behind his sunglasses. With her head up Reid could tell that, under the hat and glasses, it was in fact a woman. Said woman smiled kindly at him

"That's a very… ahh… interesting game you have going there."

"Oh, it's not a game," she stated matter-of-factly, before turning to look at the board with what could have been puzzlement. "At least, not really."

"Then what exactly is it?"

"It's a recreation."

"Of?" The woman flashed the cover of her book at him. _Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There _stared back at him for a brief moment.

"I'm reading through it and, as I go, I'm moving the characters accordingly."

"Interesting."

"But I'm stuck. I can't figure out where Alice needs to go." She showed him the only pawn that wasn't white or red; it was bright blue with a shocked girl's face carved into it.

"Maybe I can help. May I see?"

The woman passed him the book. He glanced at the marked page for only a second then back to the board. He saw the problem in an instant. He picked up the white queen who was floating around the middle of the board. Then he plucked the pawn from her hand.

"See, the queen and Alice are supposed to be crossing this stream here at the fifth rank together. You had the queen at the sixth rank. So if you place them both," he put the pawn and queen side-by-side near a creak running along the middle of the board, "here, then it should follow the line."

The woman stared down at the board. "Well, at least until the queen turns into a sheep." She chuckled openly, flashing bright white teeth under the shade of her hat. Reid smiled back at her before closing the book and returning it to her. His phone vibrated again in his pocket and he knew it was J.J. wondering where he was. But this whole thing was too intriguing to leave just yet.

"So, can you play regularly as well?"

The woman looked back up at him. Or, at least, he thought she did but he couldn't tell behind her glasses. She smiled again, though this one seemed a bit wicked. Slowly, she pulled off her glasses and placed them on the table. Her eyes, one bright blue and one bright green, definitely had a wicked gleam in them.

"Why? Do you want to try me?"

Reid removed his own glasses and smiled, though he didn't quite know why. Something in the woman's mischievous grin was contagious. Quickly, he glanced at his watch. There was still plenty of time for a game before he needed to be back and Quantico. There might even be time to grab some coffee before he returned. He pulled out the opposite chair and eased into it while the woman cleared and reset the board. Alice, being an extra pawn, went to the side and watched over match.

Reid had thought the game would be quick. It wasn't until twenty minutes flew by, with the pieces left on the board few and far between, that he began to realize that maybe he had miscalculated his opponent's skill by just a bit. Just a little bit. Time trudged on and the collection of captured pieces on either side were steadily growing until Reid was left staring at the board, awestruck.

Somehow the woman had backed him into a corner and he was barely able to protect his queen, let alone strike a counterattack. Moving to the left would expose his queen completely. Moving forward would mean sacrificing his last rook, which would then expose his queen as well. There was no moving back. No moving left. He was stuck.

The woman stared at him as he stared in wonder at the board. His face screamed that he wasn't used to losing. As he reached for his rook, she smiled. He knew the game was over but he was still going to fight to the end, exhaust all possibilities, and do everything he could to stay in it, just in case the outcome were to change. He was just like she imagined he would be. She smiled softly, her face pink with happiness.

Reid moved his rook the only way he could. Now all he could do was wait for her to make the inevitable move to take his piece before, on the next turn, taking his queen. She hesitated, her hand hovering over a knight shaped like a unicorn, before moving to a pawn on the far side of the board and shifting it instead. Reid stared at her, confused.

Had she not seen the rook moving into position? Had she not known that her knight could have taken his rook and later his queen, thus ending the game? How could someone, who was clearly so good, make such a rookie mistake? Not only that, but moving that particular pawn exposed her own queen to be taken by his remaining knight. Clearly he had overestimated her.

With a swift swish he flicked away her queen and clinked down his knight in its place.

"Checkmate."

Semi sighing, semi laughing, the woman leaned back in her chair, giving Reid a slow clap of approval. Then she removed her hat, silvery-platinum hair tumbling down from where she had tucked it up. She absently ran her fingers through it, smiling to herself as she looked over the board.

"Good game, Mr.…" She faded off, leaving the open-ended statement hanging in the air.

"Oh, it's Doctor, actually. Doctor Spencer Reid."

"_Doctor_ Spencer Reid. I'm Rose. Just Rose." She extended a hand across the table but Reid avoided it. She gave him a quizzical look.

"Sorry. It's just… I'm not really one for hand shaking."

"Oh I see." Rose went quiet for a moment before smiling and rising from her chair. "Well then, we will just have to do it this way. Come on. Get up! Up! Up!"

Confused, Reid scuttled to get out of his chair. Rose pointed to the spot of path in front of her and Reid stood where she had ordered like a loyal dog. She smiled at his puzzled expression. It was just too cute.

"Now, I'll curtsy and you bow. Simple yet effective. Ready?" Reid nodded more out of courtesy than actual understanding. Rose chuckled under her breath. "Good. Here we go."

For a moment, they just stared at each other. Then Rose smiled as sweet as sugar and dipped into a low curtsy, hands acting like they were holding up a dress even though she was wearing jeans. Reid responded with a low bow of his own just as his phone vibrated again in his pocket. But it seemed louder than usual.

He reached for it as Rose reached into her own pocket and pulled out her own buzzing phone. When she answered, her demeanor completely shifted. Gone was her sweet smile and in its place was a look of contempt and cold calculation. She mumbled into the phone in a hushed tone so quiet Reid couldn't hear a word. The phone call lasted only for a moment before she snapped it closed and took a deep breath.

"Sorry about that, _Doctor_, but I've got to be on my way." She smiled at him again, the sugary grin in place as strongly as if it never had disappeared. Reid stumbled over his words and waved his phone at her awkwardly.

"Oh, me too. But do you need any help packing up the board?" He reached for the pieces and ended up knocking over his queen with his fumbling fingers. Rose snickered into her hand.

"No, no that's quite alright. You go on. I took it out by myself and I can put it back by myself too."

Reid nodded and turned to walk away.

"Doctor Reid!"

Stopping in his tracks, he turned and gave her a questioning smile.

"Have a good day, okay?" Rose's face was too serious, making Reid feel a bit uncomfortable. But he smiled anyway and gave her a wave.

"You too." With that, Reid turned and made his way out of the park, leaving Rose to stare at his receding back.

"Hey kid, you're late," Derek Morgan stated across the round table of the conference room. Reid apologized and sat in his place, picking up a case file as he went. J.J. stared at him for a moment before turning to look at the screen behind her.

Three photos of women were lined up side-by-side on the screen. One brunette, one blonde, and one redhead. All smiling and all happy. However, underneath each photo was one a bit different than the one above it. Instead of smiling girls, the photos below showed three bodies leaning over stumps or large boulders. The heads were on the ground, staring up at the sky with the blank, foggy eyes of those who have passed on.

"These are Barbara Johns, Sarah Kay, and Amanda Black. They were all murdered within a three month period, with exactly one month separating each kill. Each were also found in different parks and forests surrounding Luray, Virginia."

"Luray? That's not too far from here, right?" Asked Emily Prentiss.

"About 84.5 miles." Stated Reid.

"Each victim was found with their hands bound and the only bruising being faintly on their upper arms," continued J.J.

Aaron Hotchner studied his own case file.

"No other signs of physical or sexual assault?"

"Not that the coroner could find." She turned back to the screen. "It was reported that the decapitation of each victim was swift and done in most likely one stroke."

"He's had practice," thought Prentiss aloud.

"What about the girls? What connects them?" Asked David Rossi, flipping through the photos of the files before him.

"Nothing substantial yet." J.J. pointed to the brunette. "Barbara was a preacher's daughter. Member of her church choir, leader of the local youth group, and a major volunteer on any days she had the time." She moved her finger to the blonde. "Sarah was valedictorian, state volleyball champion, and on a full ride to Vanderbilt University. Amanda, on the other hand," she shifted to the redhead, "was from a broken home, in and out of juvie, and her stepfather reported that she would constantly sneak out to party with her friends. Three different personalities, three different girls. They didn't even go to the same high school. The only thing connecting them are their ages. Barbara was 19, Sarah was 18, and Amanda had just turned 19."

"So its age that sets this unsub off," Rossi commented. "He doesn't care about looks or personality. He just seems to want a young girl."

"Well, I don't know if you would call it 'setting off'. I mean, there's no physical or sexual abuse. And the kill isn't emotionally connected at all. The way the bodies are leaning over the stumps like that almost makes it look like…" Morgan wandered off, staring at the photos.

"An execution." Hotchner rose out of his chair and picked up his files. "We'll drive since its close. We leave in 45 minutes."

With that the team began to collect their things and leave the room. Morgan was the first one out the door only to run into a sprinting Kevin Lynch, sending him stumbling backward.

"Whoa there. What's the rush?"

Kevin sucked in air, trying to slow down his breathing enough to speak. "Sorry but I really need to go. Penelope needs me." He tried to slide by Morgan only to have a large hand slap onto his shoulder.

"Garcia? What's wrong with Garcia?"

"Well, its…" He was stopped by Hotchner pushing past Morgan, who bumped into him, to get into the hallway.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"I was trying to explain-" Kevin glanced at his watch. "Listen, I really have to get back. Just come with me if you want."

Kevin turned and hustled back down the hallway, Morgan and the rest of the team hot on his heels.

"So what's wrong with Garcia?"

"She's being attacked."

"Attacked!?" The panic rose in Morgan's voice but Kevin didn't answer. Instead he just focused on moving ahead, ignoring all of Morgan's demanding questions. Finally they reached the door to Garcia's office. Kevin creaked it open and the sound of pounding keys and not-so-quiet curses filled the air.

Garcia was flying around the room on her wheelie chair, a hurricane of bright colors and colorful words. Every now and then her fingers would make a mad dash across the keyboard but her eyes never left her many screens. Hotchner was the first in the room.

"What's happening, Garcia?" She didn't even turn to acknowledge him, just continued pounding away at the keys. "Garcia." Nothing. "Garcia." Nothing. "Penelope!"

"What!" She whirled on him, her face tight with fury. He was unfazed. Once she recognized who it was, her face immediately softened but the fury was still there, just better controlled. "Sorry, sir, but this isn't the best time." She turned back to the computers.

"What is going on?" He tried again.

"Well, right now I have some brave little soul trying to slip into my programming. And they're good. Very good. But I'm better." Random things flashed across her screen that made no sense to anyone else but her eyes followed them like a hawk spotting its prey.

"How did they get in?" But Garcia wasn't listening anymore. Her mind was completely focused on the battle at hand. So, instead, Hotchner turned to Kevin and raised an eyebrow.

"A while ago, we shut down the system to do some mandatory checks and they must have seen that the defenses were still a bit weak when we started it back up. It takes a while for everything to completely run perfectly when it comes back online, you know. Anyway, they slipped in and are trying to worm their way further. Penelope caught them and is trying to push them back out. She's been at it for a solid 20 minutes. It shouldn't take too much longer. They don't seem that good. Probably just a kid who didn't know what they were really getting into."

"No one ever does when it comes to our Garcia." Laughed J.J.

"NO!" Shrieked Garcia. She flew to her feet and stared at the screen in front of her with horror and defeat. "NO!" Kevin hurried across the room to her and stared at the screen as well, only to have his mouth hang open in shock. The rest of the team quickly followed.

"What? What's going on?" Prentiss asked with worry.

"He… he got in." Garcia's voice shook. "He got through."

"Well, can't you get him back out?" Asked Reid, staring at the screens too, trying to make sense of all the code. Garcia didn't answer. Seconds later, a new set of code flashed onto the screen. Garcia screamed and Kevin cursed. Morgan gripped Garcia's shoulders and tried to get her to look at him.

"Mama, come on Mama, look at me. You can get them out. I know you can."

But Garcia didn't even glance his way. She just shook her head, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as she looked at the code.

"No, she can't. No one can. He's there to stay." Said Kevin in a deadpan voice.

"What do you mean," demanded Hotchner. Kevin pointed to a string of numbers at the end of the code.

"See this? There's only one hacker in the world that uses this strip of code."

"The Phoenix," mumbled Garcia absently. Kevin nodded. Hotchner didn't look impressed so Kevin explained.

"This strip of code was specifically designed to destroy. It burns through everything: files, code, hard drive, everything. Not only on the computer it attacks, but every computer attached, meaning the hacker's computer as well. The code eats through everything, like fire."

"So this hacker is destroying his own computer? How is that good?" Asked Reid, confused.

"Any other hacker would be burned and many others have been, trying to repeat the Phoenix's code. But only the Phoenix can make it through the flames. He rises from the ashes, metaphorically speaking, with whatever he came for and then he leaves, leaving the victim's computer in ruins. That's why Garcia can't push him out. The code's already in her computer. It's probably already burning through her hard drive."

"Everything I built. Everything I made. Gone." Garcia's voice sounded hollow and distant, teary eyes fading into foggy pools.

"He is moving," pointed out Reid, indicating different things popping up on the screen. Garcia hurried back the computer and watched in shock.

"What's he doing?" Asked Prentiss.

"He's going through my files. He's looking for something." The number of things popping onto the screen began to increase in speed and number. More and more files were opened and more and more documents were rifled through. This went on for a couple minutes before it started to slow down. Then things stopped and after a moment, the current case file appeared on the screen. There was another pause, then the file was gone. Then the screen cleared, as if nothing had happened. Garcia stared agape before her fingers began to fly rapidly across the keys.

"No way. No way!" She turned to her team, tears spilling from her eyes. "It's still there. It's still intact."

"He didn't burn it?" Kevin joined her at the keyboard. "What happened? Did the code not work?" Garcia started a desperate kind of laugh at the back of her throat.

"I don't know. But it's still there." She continued attacking the keyboard. "Wait…" There was a pause. "Some things are gone." Hotchner joined to two and leaned a hand on the desk, staring at the screens with them.

"Can you find out what he took?" Garcia nodded and attacked the keyboard in a hurry. There was a moment of silence before her eyes went wide. "What?"

She turned to look at the rest of the team behind her.

"He took today's case file."

"Is that all?" Asked Rossi, who had mainly just stood in the back of the room, watching the events unfold. Garcia shook her head. "Well? What else?" Garcia rung her hands uncomfortably.

"He took…" She stared at them, "everything the system had on Doctor Spencer Reid."

Reid looked shocked and pointed a finger at himself. "Me?"

Garcia nodded.


	2. The Tea Cup

_"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would."- Alice (Alice in Wonderland: Lewis Carroll)_

The two black SUVs made their way down the interstate; Hotch, Prentiss, and Rossi in one, Morgan, J.J., and Reid in the other. J.J. had the other car on the phone on speaker and the open case file on her lap. Hotch was the first to speak.

"How did the unsub abduct each victim? How did he get them from their homes to the forest without anyone?"

"He didn't. Take them from their homes, that is. Barbara was at her friends down the street for an all-night bible study. Sarah was at a bonding night with other girls from her volleyball team. And Amanda apparently snuck out to go party. They were each out of their homes on the night before their murders." J.J. studied the photos of the smiling girls with a mixture of sadness and determination.

"And they were all found just hours after they died?" Prentiss's voice was distant and hazy, being in the backseat and furthest from the phone.

"Apparently the police got an anonymous call that a body had been found. The caller gave the exact coordinates of the location before hanging up. Each call was made just before nine in the morning but the report says time of death ranged from 5 to 7 a.m. from victim to victim. Amanda, who was found this morning, was put at 6:45."

"He doesn't have them very long. He abducts them at night and kills them the next morning. That's not a lot of time to find his gratification," Rossi thought aloud.

"I don't think this is about gratification, Rossi. The execution-style killing along with the short time he had them makes it seem more like killing them was just a job. Just something he had to do," Morgan countered.

"The unsub still made contact with them somehow. They met and something the victims said or did put them on this guy's radar. We need to figure out when that happened as well as what happened. This guy has a pretty steady schedule of killing once a month. We have to catch him before he goes back under another month or before he decides to accelerate his executions."

Hotch stopped for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

"Prentiss and Reid will go to the recent crime scene. See what you can find that might give a clue as to why these girls. Morgan and J.J., I want you to start talking to the friends and family. Figure out who these girls were talking to and what they were doing before they died. Rossi and I will go to the coroner, see if there's anything new they can tell us." Each person stated their agreement and J.J. hung up the phone.

It was quiet in the car for a while before Morgan's phone started to ring. He glanced at it before flipping it open with a smile.

"How's it goin', baby girl? You're on speaker."

Garcia's voice was filled with rage and a fiery determination that it rarely had.

"I'll tell you how it's goin'. Finding this guy is like trying to find a needle in a haystack the size of Texas and I'm blindfolded. But trust me, Derek. Trust me when I say I will find this needle even if I have to burn down every pile of hay from Hell to Huston. If he thinks he can just play with me like that and get away with it, he is sorely mistaken. I swear I will find this son of a bitch and when I do…"

"Whoa there hot stuff, bring it down. I know you'll find him but right now we need you focused on this case. Can you do that?"

Penelope scoffed into the phone. "Tell me what you need and it's yours."

"I need you to contact the friends and family of the victims that have already been interviewed and let them know we need them back at the station for further questioning. Then I need you to dig into the schedules of the victims. I want to know what they each did the days before their deaths. Can you do that, sweetness?"

"Honey, if they sneezed I'll tell you the time and place."

"You're the best!"

"Tell me something I don't know. Garcia out." The phone clicked and Morgan snapped it shut, chuckling to himself. Then he happened to glance in the rearview mirror. Reid was sitting as still as a statue in the backseat, staring out the window. Morgan hollered his name but got no reply. Reid just gazed at the passing scenery, his eyes not really seeing what was in front of them. He couldn't get that girl out of his head.

Rose.

Everything about her stuck out individually but when put all together, it just seemed to make sense. She had been short but something in her personality made her seem taller, bigger. He hadn't even realized just how small she had been until she stood up. But she had been fit, not thin, with curves… his mind wandered off and his cheeks flamed pink for an instant. Morgan's eyebrows rose as Reid's face turned bright red then back to normal as if nothing had happened. He tried to get the kid's attention again but again to no avail.

Her eyes had been odd too, one bright blue, like the sky, and the other bright green, like fresh grass. But paired with her platinum blonde hair that tumbled around her face, they seemed to complement each other. He remembered that moment she removed her hat like he remembered everything, like it had just happened moments ago. Her hair fell like silk down her face but she just absently brushed it away like it were nothing. Somehow that made her that much more endearing, the fact that she didn't act like her looks were a major deal. That, and the skillful way she played chess, even though she had lost…

His brow furrowed.

Morgan's eyes kept flashing from the road to the rearview mirror. He had never seen this many different emotions on Reid's face in such a short amount of time. He nudged J.J., who turned and watched Reid as well. The kid's face went from thoughtful to bright red and embarrassed then to confused until it landed and stayed on a mixture of confusion and deep concentration. The two people watching him shared a look before taking turns trying to get his attention.

She shouldn't have lost. The way she had played before showed a deep understanding of the game and a sharp mind for strategy and tactics. There was no way, looking back, that she should have missed such an obvious chance to win. Someone that good doesn't make such simple mistakes, especially after such a long and difficult battle. She had hesitated over the right piece but she changed her mind at the last minute. He could still see her tiny hand hovering over the piece that should have ended it all with Reid coming out as the loser. Then It just shifted to another and somehow he had won. He should feel victorious but the victory felt hollow, as if he didn't earn it form himself. As if… His mouth hung open in horror.

"DOCTOR SPENCER REID!" Morgan and J.J.'s voices were loud and right in his face but he didn't even flinch. Instead he just stared at them, mouth open, eyes wide, and body frozen.

"She let me win," he whispered.

"What? Come on, kid, speak up."

"She let me win!" He dug around in his bag and pulled out a journal and a pen. With quick hands he began to sketch out multiple drawings of chess boards, going move by move through the game until he came to the end. He extended the book to J.J., who was staring at him, completely lost. He indicated a chess board.

"See this move here? Only a player as skilled as Gideon would have seen it. I didn't even notice it! And this one over here is the same thing." He turned the book to himself and studied the drawings with searching eyes. "Almost every move she made was something a master would have done."

"Almost every move?" J.J. asked, still not fully understanding what was going on but it seemed important to Spence so what the hell. He nodded enthusiastically, showing her the last couple drawings.

"She should have moved her piece here after I moved there. It would have ended the game and she would have won. Instead she moved this pawn and as a result I won."

"Maybe she didn't see it?" Chimed in Derek but Reid shook his head just as enthusiastically.

"That's what I thought before but for someone as skilled as her to make such a simple mistake. It wouldn't have happened unless it was on purpose. She let me win."

"Well, I mean, at least you won, right? You'll never know for sure if she let you win or not." J.J.'s voice was comforting but Reid sat back in thought. He knew without a doubt that she had let him win. And it wasn't good enough that he had just won. Someone as skilled as that… letting him win almost felt like pity. Never before in his life had he felt such desire to defeat someone, not even when he played with Gideon. The moment they got back, he would find Rose and beat her by his own strength. That, he was positive of.

Morgan opened his mouth to say something but something about Reid's expression told him it was better if he didn't say anything. Besides, they had just arrived at the Luray Police Department. A detective was standing on the steps of the station and shook their hands as J.J. made the introductions. When Reid was called, he gave a half-hearted wave, catching the worried eyes of his teammates but he ignored them. Thinking about Rose had his headache from earlier returning with full force. He pulled his shades down over his eyes but it wasn't helping.

"Agents Morgan and Jareau will be remaining here to talk to the families. The rest of us will return shortly." Hotchner said before turning with Rossi and getting back in one of the large SUV. The detective, who had introduced himself as Detective Anderson, nodded and showed the way for J.J. and Morgan into the station. Prentiss turned to get into the other SUV herself but realized that Reid wasn't following her. Instead he was staring off into the distance and jumped when her hand landed on his shoulder.

"Hey! It's just me!" Emily threw up her hands as well as her eyebrows, obviously confused by Reid's startled expression but he just laughed it off.

"Sorry. I was thinking."

"About that hacker who got your information?" She returned her hand to his shoulder in a comforting pat. "Don't worry about it. If anyone can find him, it's Garcia."

"Ahh ya, you're right. I'll try not to think about it." In fact, the thought that someone out there had all his information hadn't even crossed his mind. It should have but it didn't. That's how much that chess game had filled his thoughts. But Prentiss didn't seem to notice his bluff. She just smiled warmly.

"Good because I need you here with me. Come on, let's get going." She made her way back to the SUV and this time Reid followed.

* * *

Twenty-five minutes later, Prentiss and Reid were pulling into the Shenandoah River State Park. They parked next to two Virginia State Police cars. The officers themselves were another 5 minute walk through the trees into the park itself. They picked their way down the slope, over roots and uneven ground, until the bright yellow tape cutting off the crime scene came into view.

"That's not exactly an easy walk. Someone would have to be careful not to fall and break an ankle. It would be even harder dragging a person down it." Prentiss dusted some dirt off the side of her dark pants while Reid starting walking around the scene.

The area was a clearing created by a ring of tall trees with their thick branches blocking out most of the sun, creating a dim, dreary space. The body of Amanda still hung slump over a large boulder, a waterfall of dried blood flowing down the stony surface. Her hands remained tied behind her back, loosely secured with coarse twine. Her head remained where it must have landed and rolled, a few feet from the foot of the boulder, her eyes wide and mouth in a permanent scream, with rotting leaves clinging to her bright red hair.

"This area's pretty secluded. The trees block out most of the clearing. You can't see it from the road so he would have a lot of privacy to do what he wants. So why didn't he spend more time with them? He had the opportunity, so why didn't he use it?" Reid thought aloud.

"Was this exactly how she was when you found her?" Prentiss crossed the clearing to the blood-covered boulder.

"We didn't touch anything, just like you asked," said an officer. Prentiss started pulling on a pair of latex gloves.

"When was the call made?"

"At 8:43. Two hours after she had died."

Prentiss examined the girl. She was dressed in tight jeans caked in mud, a black tank top that left nothing to the imagination, and a filthy pair of black converse that looked like white skulls had been painted on them. Her bare arms were covered in swirls of green, blue, and orange, with glitter sparkling around the edges. Under the dim light, the lines seemed to glow.

"Is this glow-in-the-dark paint?" Prentiss asked Reid who lowered himself beside her to look. He cupped a gloved hand over part of the arm to block out the light and peaked through his fingers.

"Looks like it."

"Did the unsub do this as some kind of decoration?" Prentiss asked, leaning back on her heels.

Reid eased to his feet and crossed to the right side of the body, staring at the swirls on the other arm. After a moment he shook his head.

"No, I don't think so. Assuming she's right handed, the markings on her right side are more wobbly and not as detailed. She most likely had to do these with her other hand. Also, some places are streaked and faded. If the unsub did this after or even before killing her, the lines would have been even and fresh."

"Must have been some party," she thought before examining the girl's bound wrists. "This wasn't done that tightly. That and the lack of defensive wounds makes it look like Amanda didn't fight that hard."

"Maybe she was scared."

"No, I doubt that. Amanda's record showed multiple suspensions from school for fighting. Plus," she looked at the multiple black and skull rings shining on Amanda's fingers, "some of these are dented and bent. It looks like she's used them on someone's face before. She would have most likely fought back if she thought she was in danger."

"So she must not have thought she was in any danger," Reid said, leaning over to examine the head. Her make-up was smeared and streaked. Dirt clumped to multiple studs and spikes in both her ears and her nose. Her hair was bright red but underneath ran streaks of blue, green, and purple. Overall, her look screamed rebellious grunge.

"Off with her head," he mumbled, Rose's face flashing through his mind.

"What?" Prentiss asked.

"Oh, nothing." As Reid leaned forward, something sparkled under a few decaying leaves. He stopped a passing officer. "I need a pair of tweezers." The officer nodded and scurried to do his bidding. Curious, Prentiss joined his side.

"Find something?"

"I think so," Reid said as he took the tweezers from the officer with a quiet thank you. Gently he picked at the top layer of leaves, revealing more sparkle. Then he pulled said sparkly object out of the decay and into the dim sunlight.

At the end of the tweezers dangled a gold chain. A tiny charm slid down the length of the chain as he lifted it up until it swung in a small arch toward the ground.

"Is that a tea cup?" Prentiss took the tweezers from Reid and examined the charm. It was a golden tea cup no bigger than her pinky-nail with delicate overlaying gold details.

"Doesn't exactly fit her usually jewelry choice," Reid said, indicating her black studs and spikes.

"I agree. I highly doubt that this," she swung the chain at him, "would be something that she would buy for herself."

Reid stared at the necklace for a moment before pulling out his phone and snapping a picture. "I'll send it to Morgan. Let's see if any of her friends or family recognizes it."

"Send it to Hotch too. The other two victims might have had something like that if it were given to them by the unsub."

"Good idea." Reid pressed a button and seconds later the tiny tea cup popped up on Morgan and Hotch's phone.

* * *

Hotch and Rossi were standing between two cold, metal tables with a victim on each side while the coroner went over her report. She started with Barbara on the left, leaning over her body and indicating the light bruises on her upper arms.

"Other than these bruises, there are no signs of physical assault." She pointed out the thin lines on the girl's wrist that were so faint, they wouldn't have noticed them without her saying something. "The bindings on her wrists weren't even tight enough to leave any real marks."

"Any signs of sexual assault?" Asked Ross but the woman shook her head.

"I can't imagine someone would willingly allow a stranger to tie them up and drag them into the woods without a bit of a fight. Even if he threatened them into submission, he most likely would have tied the bindings tighter in case they had a chance to escape." Hotch pulled out his buzzing phone and flipped it open to stare at a dim picture sent from Reid. It looked like a small tea cup smudged with dirt and what might have been a bit of decaying leaves.

"So you think the victims knew him enough to feel safe? That could explain how they got to the woods without much hassle but they probably would have gotten suspicious when the twine came out." Rossi took the phone that Hotch passed to him and squinted at the picture of the necklace charm.

"Right, which means he knew they wouldn't have been able to fight back even if they wanted to." Hotch turned to the doctor. "Was there anything in their systems?"

The doctor shook her head again and Hotch sighed in aggravation. There had to be something they were missing. It didn't make any sense that the unsub wouldn't have taken some precautions so his prey wouldn't escape. No matter how confident he was.

"However, I do have a theory, if you would like to hear it," the doctor said, flipping through the girls' files.

"Please," Rossi encouraged, giving her the floor. The doctor walked between the two tables and the two agents moved out of her way. She passed them the files and started with Barbara Johns.

"Well, to start, I also found the lack of trauma odd so I started with a toxicology test but it came back completely clean. There wasn't even any traces of alcohol in the blood. However, I did find something odd with both their glucose levels."

"Their blood sugar?" Hotch looked confused while Rossi looked thoughtful.

"Right. Now, the levels were normal, maybe even a bit below normal, but their insulin production was off the charts. Their pancreases were working overtime. And their stomachs? Completely full of candy. It's like they ate Wonka's entire factory. Not only that, there are traces of what was most likely some kind of drink with high levels of sugar. Not soda. More like some kind of energy drink."

"With all that in them, they must have been bouncing off the walls," Rossi commented. The doctor flipped back through her notes.

"At one point they were but the insulin levels show that, by the time they died, they were crashing and crashing hard. Most of the sugar had left their system but it brought along drowsiness and fatigue. Based off the amount of candy and sugar-based products that were digesting in their stomachs, their sugar high was unbelievably high. That means their crash was unbelievably low. I wouldn't be surprised if they passed out wherever they were. If they were still awake, they wouldn't have been able to use much energy, let alone put up much of a fight."

"So they were too tired to fight?" Hotch asked and the doctor nodded. He turned to Rossi. "Well, that would explain why the unsub didn't need to use much force. These girls were practically falling asleep standing up. They wouldn't have posed as much of a threat."

"Thank you, doctor," Rossi shook her hand and Hotchner did the same. They turned to leave when Rossi noticed the phone still in his hand. He faced the doctor once again. "Before we go, I have one more question. Did you notice either victim wearing this when they arrived?" He passed the phone to her. She examined it quietly for a moment.

"The second victim, Sarah Kay, had a necklace similar to this one tangled up in her hair. I had to cut it out, it was so wrapped up in the strands. It should be with her clothes in evidence. But Barbara did not have any kind of jewelry on. Her ears weren't even pierced." She passed back the phone and the two agents said their thanks again before exiting the morgue and heading back to the station.

* * *

Morgan's phone buzzed on the desk but he ignored it. So far he had talked to Barbara Johns' parents and a few friends but they were getting nowhere. Everything they were saying was exactly what they said the first time with the police. No one knew if Barbara had met anyone new or if something had been off before she died. Her parents had been strict about who she was allowed to see and where she was allowed to go. If they didn't know them, neither did Barbara. It was almost scary how much control Pastor Johns and his wife had on their daughter's social life. The lack of leads mixed with the uncomfortable feeling he got when he talked to a man of faith had his head aching. Looking over at J.J.'s strained smile as she talked to Sarah Kay's weeping friend from the volleyball team told him she was having just as much luck. Which was none at all.

His phone buzzed again. With a sigh he flipped it open and saw a picture message from Reid. Apparently the necklace in the photo had been found near Amanda's body. He snapped the phone shut after sending it to J.J. and scratched the back of his head. It really did feel like they were getting nowhere. Amanda's parents hadn't even bothered calling them back and no one knew who her friends were so they were stuck interviewing the other victims' loved ones who, so far, had nothing to offer.

He picked up the last file on the stack and flipped it open. It was the report given by Kayli Burns, the friend Barbara was supposed to have been with for an all-night bible study before she died. He read through it a couple times before calling out Kayli's name. A tiny, nervous looking brunette stood up and shuffled her way over to Derek's borrowed desk. Slowly she sat down in the chair across from him like many had before. Her eyes were puffy from crying, her hair was everywhere, and her clothes looked like she slept in them but not very well. Morgan's heart immediately went out to this small, obviously heart-broken little bird.

"Kayli," he started soothingly but she jumped at the sound of his voice all the same. "It's going to be okay. I just want to ask you a few questions about Barbara."

"The police-" Her voice broke so she coughed once before trying again. "The police already asked me a bunch of questions."

"I know that but we just have a couple more, okay?" Kayli hesitated before nodding. "Good. Now, how long did you know Barbara?"

"Bee. Her name is—was Bee." She choked on the words but she forced them out anyway. "Only her parents called her Barbara. She hated that old-fashion name."

"Right. How long did you know Bee?"

"Ever since we were little. We grew up in the same nursery at church. We were always together."

"What did you and Bee like to do?"

"We loved to ride horses. I wasn't that good but Bee could ride like she was a queen." Kayli smiled fondly. "She loved to read to me. Her voice was so soothing, it could put me to sleep. Whenever I had a nightmare when we were little she would read me fairy-tale stories. And she also-"

She stopped and stared at Morgan like she had wished she had never spoken.

"She what?" Morgan edged her on but she shook her head, tossing glances at Bee's parents. Morgan tapped the desk with his finger. "Hey. You can tell me. I promise I won't tell her parents. I just need to know as much about Bee as I can so I can find the man who did this to her. Please help us, Kayli."

She hesitated again but finally broke down.

"She was a fantastic designer. She could make anything: dresses, shirts, hats, even shoes. You name it, she could make it. They were beautiful and fit perfectly. I swear she had a gift from God."

"But her parents didn't like it?"

"Her parents didn't know. You saw how they are. They controlled everything. They were dead set on her going to some Christian college and finding a nice pastor to settle down with, just like her mom did with her dad. She was supposed to be a preacher's wife."

"And she didn't want to be." Morgan's voice made it more of a statement than a question but Kayli shook her head anyway.

"I mean, it wasn't like she didn't want to get married. If the guy she fell in love with was a pastor then fine, she would be a pastor's wife. She just didn't want to be a stay at home mom like hers is. She wanted to open up her own clothing store, start her own line, and maybe even see a dress of hers on the red carpet. She had dreams and she wasn't letting them go. But she couldn't practice at her house so she kept everything at mine."

"Was that what she was doing at your house the day she died? Instead of a bible study, she was working on an outfit?" Kayli looked nervous all over again and shook her head, a bit too hard.

"No, we were actually having a bible study. It was Saturday and we had church the next day. We hadn't filled out our Sunday school workbooks yet and if she didn't do them she would get ripped by her parents. So we were doing them together."

Something about her answer seemed forced to Derek. He glanced at her file and saw that the answer she gave matched what she had said earlier to the police almost word for word. Yet, something felt off. So, with that in mind, he continued the questioning.

"Okay, you were having a bible study. Can you tell me what happened that night?" She sucked in a breath and squeezed her hands together. But not before Derek noticed how much her fingers were trembling. When she opened her mouth to answer, she shifted her eyes away from his, instead staring at the back wall.

"We finished our workbooks early so we watched a movie. We-"

"What movie did you watch?" The question threw her. She just stared at him, wide eyed for a while.

"What?" Her voice shook. Clearly she wasn't expecting questions until she got down with her little speech.

"The movie. Which did you watch?"

"Oh um…" she thought back though her eyes still didn't meet his. "I think it was Gladiator. Her parents wouldn't usually let her watch something so violent. So she watched it at my house."

"Alright, good." He acted like he was scribbling down a note but in reality he was watching her reaction. She looked too nervous, too on edge, for someone who has gone through this before. "Continue."

"After the movie we went to sleep in my room. I woke up around four to go to the bathroom and-"

He cut her off again.

"Go to the bathroom? But in the report from earlier, it says that you went to get a drink of water." It didn't but her eyes widened anyway. She looked like she was about to faint.

"Right, I went to the bathroom then I went to get a drink of water. Then I fell asleep downstairs…"

"Well it says here you returned to your room." Morgan's eyes narrowed. She gulped.

"Ohh… well I did return to my room. Later. In the morning when I found out she was gone." Her face was one of a teenager who was very uncomfortable lying to anyone, let alone the police.

"Uhuh." Morgan slapped the file closed making Kayli jump. He leaned in and smiled as softly as he could. "Listen, Kayli, I told you that whatever you say to me would not be told to her parents unless you want me to. However, I do need you to tell me whatever you know, no matter how insignificant you think it is. And I definitely need you to tell me the truth. I promise you won't get in trouble. So please, tell me what really happened."

Kayli stared at the ground before glancing at her friend's parents who were crying on a bench next to the door. Bee's other friends who had come for questioning were also crying and hugging each other, searching for stability and support. She gulped and squeezed her hands even tighter.

"You promise you won't tell them?" She whispered.

Morgan patted her hand reassuringly. "I promise."

She took a deep breath and let it out, though it seemed to shake out of her more than just flow out.

"We weren't at my house. I mean, we were for a while but we didn't stay there."

"Where did you go?"

She looked up at him with wide, watery eyes and chewed on her lip, thinking about her answer. Finally, something in her seemed to break loose and her eyes took on a much more determined gleam, like she didn't care about the consequences anymore. She was going to say what was obviously weighing her down.

"Kayli, where did you and Bee go?"

She looked him dead in the eye and whispered, "Wonderland."


End file.
